A suspected gunman who burst into a Pittsburgh synagogue shouting "All Jews must die!," killing 11 worshippers and wounding six other people, was charged late Saturday with 29 federal counts, including hate crimes.

Robert Bowers, 46, was taken into custody after being wounded in a shootout with police at the scene of the "horrific" mass shooting, according to law enforcement officials. Among the wounded were four police officers.

Bowers allegedly burst into the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh and screamed anti-Semitic epithets, as he opened fire on the congregants, law enforcement officials said.

Police said he was armed with an assault rifle and three handguns.

The official who is not authorized to comment publicly said the suspect left an alleged trail of anti-Semitic rants on social media accounts, prompting authorities to designate the FBI as the lead agency to investigate the attack as an alleged hate crime.

"It’s a very horrific crime scene," Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said at a news conference. "It's one of the worst I’ve seen."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Bowers could face the death penalty.

“These alleged crimes are reprehensible and utterly repugnant to the values of this nation," Sessions said in a statement. "Accordingly, the Department of Justice will file hate crimes and other criminal charges against the defendant, including charges that could lead to the death penalty.

The call of a shooting at the synagogue came in at around 9:54 a.m., he said. Armed with an assault rifle and four handguns, Bowers allegedly shot and killed the 11 victims before being confronted by police.

Pittsburgh police officers confronted Bowers as he allegedly tried to exit the synagogue, said Pittsburgh bureau FBI Special Agent in Charge Bob Jones. A gunfight erupted and two officers were injured, he said.

"This is the most horrific crime scene I've seen in my 20 years with the FBI," Jones said.

The names of the victims were not expected to be released until Sunday.

Teams of armed police swarmed the neighborhood near downtown Pittsburgh just before 10 a.m. Saturday. Residents were urged to shelter in place as armed law enforcement agents canvassed the neighborhood.

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Chatham University students hug during a visit Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018, to a makeshift memorial outside the Tree of Life Synagogue to the 11 people killed Oct 27, 2018 while worshipping in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. GENE J. PUSKAR/AP

Mourners visit the memorial outside the Tree of Life Synagogue on October 31, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Eleven people were killed in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Oct. 27. Jeff Swensen, Getty Images

Students from the Yeshiva School in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh stand outside Beth Shalom Synagogue after attending the funeral service for Joyce Fienberg, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. Joyce Fienberg, 75, was one of 11 people killed when a gunman opened fire during worship services at the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday, Oct. 27. Gene J. Puskar, AP

This is a painted rock in memory of Rose Mallinger, 97, found Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018, part of a makeshift memorial outside the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, to the 11 people killed during worship services Saturday Oct. 27, 2018. Gene J. Puskar, AP

The casket of Irving Younger is led to a hearse outside Rodef Shalom Temple following his funeral on Oct. 31, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Irving Younger was one of 11 people killed in the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue on October 27. Jeff Swensen, Getty Images

A processional leaves the Jewish Community Center after the funeral of Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Oct. 30, 2018. Rabinowitz and 10 other people were shot and killed Oct. 27, 2018 during a service at Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
Robert Bowers allegedly screamed anti-Semitic epithets, as he opened fire on the congregants, law enforcement officials said. Eleven worshippers were killed and six other people were wounded. Cara Owsley, Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the caskets for brothers David and Cecil Rosenthal is carried out of the synagogue at the conclusion of funeral services at the Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh on Oct. 30, 2018. Mykal McEldowney, Indianapolis Star via USA TODAY Network

Family members of Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, embrace before his funeral at the Jewish Community Center in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Oct. 30, 2018. Cara Owsley, Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK

Eleven candles, one marking each life of the people killed at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, were lit during a vigil at Chabad of Vermont in Burlington, Vt., Monday, Oct. 29, 2018. Ryan Mercer, Burlington Free Press, via USA TODAY Network

Students from Yeshiva Girls High School pray, on Oct. 29, 2018, outside of the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Robert Bowers allegedly screamed anti-Semitic epithets, as he opened fire on the congregants of Tree of Life during a service, law enforcement officials said. Eleven worshippers were killed and six other people were wounded Saturday. CARA OWSLEY/THE ENQUIRER

Names of the victims in the mass shooting at Tree of Life Congregation Synagogueare posted at a memorial outside of the synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa., Monday. CARA OWSLEY/THE ENQUIRER

Mourners visit the Tree of Life Synagogue on Oct. 29, 2018, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh after 11 were killed and six others were wounded Saturday. Cara Owsley, The Cincinnati Enquirer

Magda Brown reflects on the time she spent in a concentration camp as a 17-year-old. Brown spoke to reporters on Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. A gunman entered the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue opened fire, killing 11 and wounding six on Saturday morning, according to officials. MARKELL DELOATCH/PUBLIC OPINION

Cindy Goodman, previous chair of the Community Relations Council for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, is hugged by a local community leader during a press conference at Freedom Unlimited, Inc., on Oct. 29, 2018. The gathering, held by community groups and religious leaders, honored the 11 victims who lost their lives inside the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday. MYKAL MCELDOWNEY/INDYSTAR

Rev. James H. Harris, right, of St. James AME in Pittsburgh, says a prayer in honor of the 11 victims who lost their lives inside the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday. Local religious and community leaders were asked to lay a hand on members of the Community Relations Council for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh as a prayer was said during a press conference at Freedom Unlimited, Inc., Monday. MYKAL MCELDOWNEY/INDYSTAR

Richard A. Stewart Jr., president of NAACP Pittsburg branch, addresses community concern after the recent shooting inside Tree of Life Synagogue Community during a press conference at Freedom Unlimited, Inc., on Monday. MYKAL MCELDOWNEY/INDYSTAR

Lauren Bairnsfather, director of Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, talks about the outpouring of sympathy and support she has recieved since Saturday's shooting in Pittsburgh, Pa. MARKELL DELOATCH/PUBLIC OPINION

Etsy Peles, 17, and a senior at a girls-only high school within the Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh, saw the black names written on white stars outside the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue, before dozens of bouquets.
“It’s moving right in front of us, and the names of all the people, and you just felt it in the air, it was tangible,” she said a few hours later from a meeting room at her school. “And I feel like by going back to the place and praying there and singing there, we just showed everyone that you know we can and will remain strong.” CARA OWSLEY/THE ENQUIRER

"Love this beautiful neighborhood" is written on the sidewalk near the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Monday, Oct. 29, 2018. Cara Owsley, Cincinnati Enquirer, via USA TODAY Network

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life/Or L'Simcha Congregation stands across the street from the synagogue in Pittsburgh, Monday, Oct. 29, 2018. Shooting suspect Robert Gregory Bowers is expected to appear in federal court Monday. Authorities say he expressed hatred toward Jews during the rampage Saturday morning and in later comments to police. Matt Rourke, AP

Messages on a barricade are left near the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Monday, October 29, 2018. Cara Owsley, Cincinnati Enquirer, via USA TODAY Network

Hundreds of area residents filled the seats and stood during a vigil at Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, N.Y. on Oct. 28, 2018, in response to the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Pittsburgh synagogue. The vigil was organized by several Westchester County based Jewish organizations. SETH HARRISON, The Journal News-USA TODAY Network

People gather outside the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum on Oct. 28, 2018, in Pittsburgh, during a community gathering in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue. MATT ROURKE, AP

People listen to interfaith speakers on Oct. 28, 2018, at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall before a service to honor and mourn the victims of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Pittsburgh. JEFF SWENSEN, Getty Images

Flowers and cards sit at a makeshift memorial down the street from the site of the mass shooting that killed 11 people and wounded 6 at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Pittsburgh. JEFF SWENSEN, Getty Images

People hold candles during a vigil against anti-Semitism and white supremacy, in response to the shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Pittsburgh, at the Human Rights Monument in Ottawa, Ontario, on Oct. 28, 2018. JUSTIN TANG, The Canadian Press via AP

Fans pause for a moment of silence to honor the victims of the shooting in Pittsburgh before the game between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, in East Rutherford, N.J. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

Posters at Heinz Field honor the victims of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, in Pittsburgh. Jeffrey Becker, USA TODAY Sports

People walk under the U.S. and Israeli flags projected on the walls of Jerusalem old city, Oct. 28, 2018, organized by the Jerusalem municipality to show solidarity with the Pittsburgh Jewish community following the shooting attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. MENAHEM KAHANA, AFP/Getty Images

Members of the FBI and others survey the area on Oct. 28, 2018, outside the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images

Members of emergency services gather, Oct. 28, 2018, outside of the Tree of Life Synagogue after a shooting there left 11 people dead in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images

Stephanie Myers and Sally Merar, both of Pittsburgh, try to light candles in a drizzle during a vigil in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. SARA C. TOBIAS, Newark Advocate via USA TODAY Network

Tammy Hepps, hugs Simone Rothstein, right, on the intersection of Shady Avenue and Northumberland Street after multiple people were shot at The Tree of Life Congregation synagogue. ALEXANDRA WIMLEY, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

Neighbors around the corner from the site of a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue embrace one another in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Oct. 27, 2018. JEFF SWENSEN, Getty Images

Police respond to an active shooter situation at the Tree of Life synagogue on Wildins Avenue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. on Oct. 27, 2018. PAM PANCHAK, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

Police respond to an active shooter situation at the Tree of Life synagogue on Wildins Avenue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. on Oct. 27, 2018. PAM PANCHAK, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

He said he would like to see more armed guards at synagogues and other places of worship and impose more death penalty sentences on convicted murderers.

"It's a terrible, terrible thing what's going on with hate in our country and, frankly, all over the world," Trump said. "Something has to be done."

Posts believed to be from Bowers’ social media accounts show pictures of several Glock pistols in their cases and derogatory remarks about refugees, Jewish people and Trump. In his last post on the social network Gab, issued Saturday morning, Bowers criticized a refugee advocacy group who "likes to bring invaders in that kill our people."

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf expressed condolences for the lives lost in the shooting at a synagogue today. Police confirm at least 10 people were killed.
USA TODAY

Squirrel Hill is a Jewish enclave near Carnegie Mellon University. A little more than 50 percent of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish community lives in or around the neighborhood, said Jeff Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

Tree of Life immediate past president Michael Eisenberg told KDKA-TV that there were three congregations meeting simultaneously, probably totaling around 100 people, at the time of the shooting. They were gathered in the main part of the building, as well in the basement and in the rabbi study room, he said.

The shooting occurred during a baby-naming service. Eisenberg said he spoke with a maintenance man who hid in one of the bathrooms during the shooting and witnessed a shot congregant before fleeing through an exit.

Eisenberg said he was on his way to service there when he noticed police swarming the streets.

In the interview, Eisenberg said synagogue officials recently adjusted the exit doors to make them easier to open, which probably saved lives on Saturday. During Saturday services, the front door is kept unlocked, allowing visitors to come and go freely, he told KDKA-TV.

Security has always been a concern at the synagogue but the shooting will force officials to rethink their threat-prevention measures, Eisenberg said.

"This will be a catalyst for increased security in the future," he told the station.

The synagogue was founded 150 years ago and offers members a "traditional Conservative service with a modern sense of family" and shabbat service on 9:45 a.m. Saturdays, according to the Tree of Life's website.

Calling it an act of "horrendous anti-Semitic brutality," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that "I was heartbroken and appalled by the murderous attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue" and that all Israelis "grieve with the families of the dead."

Vice President Mike Pence commented on the incident while at an event with Nevada Republicans in Las Vegas, scene of last year's deadly shooting that left 58 people dead.

"As Las Vegas knows all too well, what happened in Pittsburgh today is not just criminal, it's evil," he said. "There's no place in America for violence or anti-Semitism."